Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Comedienne Joan Rivers says she will `` stand behind '' what she told a paparazzo about not feeling sadness for civilians killed in Gaza .

Rivers made her controversial comments at the Los Angeles airport Wednesday when a photographer for Splash News Online asked her about the nearly 2,000 Palestinian killed over the last month since Israel launched military operations in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket attacks .

`` When you declare war , you declare war , '' Rivers said . `` They started it . We now do n't count who 's dead . You 're dead . You deserve to be dead . You started it . You started it . Do n't you dare make me feel sad about that . ''

Rivers compared Israel 's operations against Gaza to the United States ' dropping atomic bombs on Japan 69 years ago .

`` You were told to get out , you do n't get out , then you know you 're an idiot , and at least the ones that were killed were the ones with very low IQs , '' Rivers said .

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Rivers posted what she called an `` accurate clarification '' of her comments on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon , but it was not an apology . Instead , she said she was `` saddened and disappointed '' that her words were `` totally taken out of context '' by the media .

`` The media , as usual , has decided to only quote the most out of context and inflammatory non sequitur rather than giving an accurate account of what my intentions were behind the statement , '' Rivers said .

She 's `` tired of bearing the brunt of attacks by people who want to sell newspapers or gain ratings by creating a scandal about me that is non-existent , '' Rivers said .

`` What I said and stand behind is , war is hell and unfortunately civilians are victims of political conflicts , '' Rivers said .

Rivers said she was `` praying for peace '' in the Middle East .

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The Palestinian Ministry of Health said as of Thursday that 1,888 people , including 446 children , have died and 9,804 injured in Gaza in the past month . The United Nations has estimated that at least 70 % of the dead were civilians . The Israel Defense Forces believes it killed about 900 militants -- roughly half of the dead .

Israeli officials have said 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians in Israel died .

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Joan Rivers about Gaza dead : `` You deserve to be dead . You started it ''

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She 's `` saddened and disappointed '' her words were `` totally taken out of context ''

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Her clarification : `` War is hell and unfortunately civilians are victims of political conflicts ''

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Rivers compares Israel 's actions against Gaza to the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan